Doctor who falsely accused Sally Clark's husband of murdering their sons cleared to work with children again

Dr David Southall was found guilty of serious professional misconduct after he claimed it was 'beyond reasonable doubt' that Steve Clark killed his sons

A doctor who accused the husband of solicitor Sally Clark of murdering their two babies has won his bid to be allowed to return to child protection work.

David Southall, 60, was found guilty of serious professional misconduct after he claimed it was 'beyond reasonable doubt' that Steve Clark killed his sons.

The controversial paediatrician made the claim after watching a TV interview in April 2000 in which Mr Clark described how baby Christopher suffered a nose bleed and breathing difficulties in 1996.

Dr Southall said he believed Mr Clark had tried to suffocate his son because his own research suggested nosebleeds in healthy infants could be caused only by inflicted trauma.

He wrote a report on the Clarks after talking to social workers and police officers in the case.

Christopher died nine days after the incident, at the age of 11 weeks. The couple's second son, Harry, died in 1998 aged eight weeks.

Mrs Clark, 42, was convicted in 1999 of double murder but cleared by the Court of Appeal four years later after new evidence showed their deaths had been natural. She died at her home in Chelmsford, Essex, last March.

When he made the murder accusation, Dr Southall was a consultant paediatrician at North Staffordshire Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent.

In 2004 the General Medical Council banned him from doing child protection work, but yesterday the GMC fitness to practise panel revoked the restriction.

Sally Clark with her husband Steve. Mrs Clark died last March, four years after being cleared by the Court of Appeal of murdering her two sons

Andrew Reid, chairman of the panel, said: 'You have acknowledged that you have learnt a lot from these proceedings and that it will impact on all the work you do.

'You have expressed regret for the impact that the PCC (Professional Conduct Committee) findings have had on the profession, and remorse that your actions have contributed to the fear that now exists among paediatricians involved in child protection work.

After the hearing in Manchester, Dr Southall said: 'I would like to say how pleased I am and thank my paediatric colleagues, especially those who came to give evidence on my behalf.'

Tragic: The Clarks with Christopher in 1996

Last month Dr Southall told the panel he still thought he had been correct in raising the alarm over Mr Clark but admitted his language in the accusation was 'injudicious'. Richard Tyson, for the GMC, said the paediatrician had shown no remorse and had not even apologised to Mr Clark.

Dr Southall resigned from his post in June and is currently involved in paediatric work for a charity in Africa and Asia.

Last December he was struck off by the GMC for serious professional misconduct in a separate case.

The High Court overturned that sanction, however, pending the outcome of an appeal at the High Court next January.

Mr Clark declined to comment last night.

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Doctor who falsely accused Sally Clark's husband of murdering their sons cleared to work again